Eleytheria
by Miss Obscure
Summary: JUMPER -- Simple mission - get in - kill paladin - get out. But then some careless jumper kid has to go complicate things by getting tortured and now Griffin has to put up with someone who's almost as mental as himself, and play bodyguard to them too.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N --** My contribution to the non-existant Jumper fandom, I know I haven't got Griffin completely in character, but I'm working on it. Hopefully you'll like my story, and if you don't, I don't want to know about it yeah? Good xD So have a read, this may turn into a Griffin/OC story, or it may not. This chapter isn't meant to reveal much about my character, but I can tell you she is roughly around 16/17-ish, and I left her name out cause I haven't thought of an original, awesome one yet.

**Lol, oh and I rewrote the ending of this chapter, cause I didn't like the previous one. So if you didn't catch it, go back and do it now if you want. It's only a few different sentences, nothing big.**

**Disclaimer --** Yeah, sure, it's totally mine, I mean, my genius is _amazing_ isn't it? I'm still in school, yet I've managed to come up with this? Oh yeah, I'm just too good for you.

**Summary --** JUMPER -- Simple mission- get in- kill paladin scum- get out. But then some careless jumper kid has to go complicate things by getting tortured and now Griffin has to put up with someone who's almost as mental as himself and play bodyguard too.

* * *

**Eleytheria**

…

Chapter One

* * *

_Life has been planned out since the beginning of time_

_-- We're just along for the ride_

* * *

Steam condenses the glass panels enclosing the shower. Inside, the girl stands under a stream of scalding water. A trembling hand is pressed against the glass, keeping her upright. It's like she's in an inferno, her skin is reddened from the blistering heat, and the pain is almost unbearable.

_Electricity is coursing through her body; it feels as though she will explode. Tears are sliding down her face, mingling with the saliva that's dribbling from her mouth. The pain is excruciating, she can't focus on anything, she can't bring herself to jump, and she can't force herself to scream anymore, it's all too much. It all _hurts_ too much._

Soaking hair cascades down her back, long black bangs shelter her face from the river of water. Her breathing is ragged, not a single coherent thought is running through her mind. Nothing appears to make sense; everything's passing in a blur. Stinging bullets are pelting her aching form, yet she is oblivious.

_The knowledge that she is going to die here is ringing in her head, blocking out all other rational thinking. __Mocking laughter washes over her from above as she convulses on the ground, she knows how pathetic she must look. Bile spills from her mouth, down her front, and puddles onto the floor._

Something flickers outside of the shower; she can hardly see it as the shower-screen is too misty. It's faint, and repetitive. Pretty almost, her gaze has locked onto it. It blinks, once, twice, three times. She cocks her head to one side and tries to remember what the odd thing is called. She presses her face against the glass to get a better look.

_They're enjoying torturing her, it's written all over their faces. One of them pushes her __down into her own vomit. She can't breath; she opens her mouth and tastes her own stomach acid. The laughter is back, the stream of tears continues, except this time they're thicker, and… red? Suddenly everything goes quiet, and then a scream, not her own echoes throughout the abandoned building._

Her brain struggles to process whats she's seeing. Slowly her hand rubs against the glass and clears a space through the fog, she can see the flickering thing clearly now. Something registers within the chaos of her mind, her lips curve upwards as she recognizes the object. A light, that's what it was. There was only one in the small room outside, it was long and looked frail.

_The tormentors are yelling, for a brief moment the excruciating pain stops and she is able to focus a little. Not much, but just enough to hear t__he words 'kill her.' She struggles to get away, but her body won't move. A shadow is advancing now, something long and pointy in its hand. She closes her eyes in terror, so she doesn't see the man appearing before her. But somehow, she feels it, and then the familiar sense of jumping takes over._

A feeling of triumph ignites, but she squishes it down. Shaking her head in a vain attempt to clear it, she turns to stare at the little oval things tucked into a corner on the floor. Leaning down, she picks one up and sniffs it. She pulls back in amazement, it smells nice. She rubs her thumb across it experimentally; a sort of foam appears on her finger. She begins to smile again as she reaches a conclusion. It's soap.

_Her back is pressed against something solid. Crouching down in front of her is a man, he looks a little scruffy. As the blurriness recedes, she vaguely notices him grinning, although it looks like he's just baring his teeth. The words, 'f__eral' and 'animalistic' surface, and she begins to feel slightly intimidated. So when he takes her hands, places them over her ears and tells her to keep them there, she does._

Her tongue flicks out and catches a few drops of water; she swallows and then reaches for the taps. The water stops abruptly and she stands there blinking, trying to figure out whats wrong with her. Everything is familiar, but she just can't understand. Scratching her sopping wet hair, she pushes the shower door open and steps out. Wondering where she is, she pauses and takes in her surroundings.

_He stands with a grunt and pulls off his jacket. Distantly she hears him say something like, "sorry kid, but this is about to get R-rated." With a quick movement, he thro__ws the jacket over her head and her vision goes dark. Every now and again, she hears soft thuds or far away screams. Cringing backwards into the wall, she breathes in and out in a rhythmic pattern, as she tries to calm herself. _

She's found the clothes on the floor, they looked clean. They _smelled_ clean, which was strange, because the last time she had clothes on, they were drenched in her own puke. Nothing made sense, confused beyond belief; she reaches for the clothes and tugs them on, before turning towards the door.

_Something wet spatters the leather jacket that's draped over her head. S__he can no longer hear anything. She whimpers when strong arms wrap around her. But then she's jumping again, and the feeling of safety flows through her, rendering everything else blank._

* * *

"So you haven't drowned then?" The voice is gruff, with an odd accent that she can't seem to place. The speaker is the man from before; he is sitting in a tatty couch on the other side of the room fiddling with a Playstation controller. His eyes are glued to the television screen, but he looks up when she doesn't respond.

Moments later he snorts and returns his attention to the game he's playing. "We're still not back in the land of the sane yet?"

It was like he didn't expect an answer. That, or he thought she was incapable of giving him one. This, she supposed, was true… to some extent.

"I didn't think so," he mutters, before releasing a menacing growl and throwing the control to the floor, "Bloody game…"

Yawning, he slumps back into the chair and turns his piercing gaze towards her. "How long's it gonna be before I can get rid of ya?" He questions whilst roughly flicking an unruly strand of hair from his eyes.

It's obvious that he's making an effort to be kind. He is clearly the type of man who likes his privacy, and from the many scars adorning his neck and arms, he is someone that you _really_ don't want to mess with.

Briefly she tugs at the sleeves of the oversized jacket she's wearing. The room that she is in is pretty small, the walls are covered in posters of people and buildings, some have X's scribbled on them, while others have vicious obscenities and death threats scrawled across them in permanent marker.

There are weapons leaning up against cabinets, as well as chains, and a flamethrower. A table is sitting dejectedly in the centre of the room surrounded by battered chairs. There is a fridge huddled in the corner - it has clearly seen better days, and a truck by the looks of it. A television and Playstation, a couch, three doors leading out of the room, a bookshelf, lamps, a computer, a body…

_A body!_

Her breath hitches as she sees the corpse; it's covered in blood and almost unrecognizable. But the suit he's wearing has been imprinted in her memory, an enemy, and… _a paladin_.

She jumps, on instinct, without thinking.

Pain blossoms through her system as she reappears on the spot, the electricity the bastards had repeatedly shocked her with must have screwed with her nerves, because she couldn't _escape_. Panic sets in, and she tries to jump again, this time she gets a few feet away but the pain doubles and she shrieks in agony. Spitting out blood, she attempts to jump for a third time, and sends herself into a wall.

A calloused hand wraps around her skinny wrist and drags her away from the solid barrier so she doesn't harm herself any more; another hand grips the front of her jacket and lifts her of her feet.

"_Stop,_" snarls an intimidating voice in her ear, "_it_." Blood dribbles from the corner of her mouth, and she hyperventilates. The ruffian is glaring at her with such ferocity that she calms down quickly, as not to tempt his wrath any further.

When he is convinced that the danger of her hurling herself into his walls is over, he carefully sets her down on her feet and scruffs her hair, which is still damp.

"Pitiful," he remarks, his expression is one of sadistic amusement.

A crease appears on her forehead, and she sniffs in indignation.

He turns towards the fridge, "really pitiful."

* * *

"Griffin."

She looks at him quizzically, and receives an exasperated look in return. They're both playing his Playstation, it's a car racing game. He didn't explain it to her, but he did slow down every now and again so she could catch up.

Her controller vibrates and she realizes that she's just rolled her car, which is quite depressing, because for the first time she was _actually_ doing well.

Setting down her control, she grabs a handful of chips and glances at the man next to her. Slowly realization dawns and her mouth twitches in an unsure smile, because _he's_ just told her his name.

His eyes flick towards her and catches her staring, his entire head snaps around and he frowns, "What?" he growls, although he's perfectly aware that he's not going to get an answer. She on the other hand, is slightly bemused by the fact that he is _staring_ at her, yet he is still _winning _the game.

_Eerie…_

"You ever going to speak, kid?" He asks as he sets down his controller and crosses his arms expectantly. "'Cause you've been here for hours and I know you're not mute, 'cause I've heard you scream." He smirks slightly, "and you're not dumb, 'cause you can understand me, and even though you're not one of those fucking problematic girls, you're going to have to leave at some point, preferably sooner, not later."

She shrugs lightly, and his expression darkens slightly.

"You can't stay here," he repeats slowly, "you have to go. Tell me where you live and I'll take you."

She raises an eyebrow and shakes her head.

Suddenly he's in front of her, his face inches from hers, "I'm not a fucking babysitter, I'm not going to protect you, I don't want you here, so tell me where you fucking live or I'm going to drop you right back where I found you, _understand_?"

Slowly she stands, and glares. Griffin's a foot or so taller than her, but it doesn't stop her from reaching up and grabbing his shirt.

"No," she rasps, her voice quivers nervously and her grip is pathetically weak. He's glowering at her furiously, but she doesn't care.

She isn't going back to the paladins and she isn't going back to _them_.

Griffin's got this look on his face, it's almost like he's contemplating snapping her wrist in half for grabbing him like that. But it disappears and he's glaring dangerously at her again, this time it's like he's contemplating snapping her neck.

"I'm not afraid of you," she informs him, her voice is hoarse and her throat's dry.

But, of course, she's shit scared of him. Because she's just figured out that this guy isn't just some _guy_, he's _Griffin_. A psychopathic paladin killer who destroys anyone who gets in his way, jumper, paladin, civilian, it didn't matter… or so the paladins said.

His hand balls into a fist and he swings, she cringes and her eyes squeeze shut. She feels the rush of air and waits for the inevitable blow…

… That never comes.

She cracks an eyelid, and there is no sign of the offending hand. However, hers is still gripping his shirt and she quickly lets go, only to be shoved back onto the couch roughly.

"Fucking brat," he snarls again, but now he's regarding her oddly. There is something flickering beneath that extremely pissed expression that she can't seem to place. Tapping the couch cushion idly, she leans back and reaches for the television remote, forgiving him for his outrageous behavour in the blink of an eye.

* * *

_The reason why Griffin almost punches her, is to prove that she is scared of him. __We all know Griffin has regular mood swings yeah? One minute he's calm, the next some kind of mental serial killer..._

_Eleytheria means freedom in latin, just so you know._

_Stay tuned for an amazing chapter two... no preview available..._

_**So, anywho, review if you've got the time and you'll recieve a fully functional cyber-Griffin with an amazingly authentic scowl ;)**_


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

**A/N --** Sorry about the late update, I had another book to write for a course I'm taking and it took up most of my time. Hope you enjoy this chapter, I named her! And there is a bit of angst in this, so yeah. Anyway, unanswered questions will be answered next chapter, which is on its way. Should be here in a few more days, now lets keep in mind that this is a **re-written** version on chapter two which was updated on the ninth of June. So chapter three should be up by tomorrow, savvy? Oh, and its the holidays for me, so I should post at least up to chapter five this week, I hope.

**Re-written the ending so it makes more sense and sounds better. Make sure to check it out.**

**Disclaimer --** No, no, If I did create Jumper, I assure you that Griffin wouldn't be fictional.

**Summary -- **JUMPER** --** Simple mission- get in- kill paladin scum- get out. But then some careless jumper kid has to go complicate things by getting tortured and now Griffin has to put up with someone who's almost as mental as himself and play bodyguard too.

* * *

**Eleytheria**

…

Chapter Two

* * *

_Façade's are used by everyone and everything_

_-- Yet only few can see through them_

* * *

Leaves dance in the icy wind, twirling around the lush clearing before falling softly to the ground. It is quiet; the sun is setting, illuminating the tall trees within the forest. In the background, a river breaks the complete silence with its soft lull as it drifts steadily through the woods.

It is the first few drops of rain that cause the young woman to stir. As consciousness returns, she begins to feel the cold and nestles deeper into the old rag that can be barely classified as a blanket. The ground beneath her rustles with each movement, and she begins to sense that something is wrong. With a low grunt she cracks an eyelid and takes in her surroundings.

Moments later she is on her feet and staring wide-eyed at the scene before her. This, she recalls, is not where she went to sleep last night. Blanket now dangling from her tightly fisted hand, she swirls around and absorbs the enormity of the situation.

Griffin must have moved her here, while she was asleep. He hadn't been too impressed when she had refused to leave, so he must have decided to get rid of her and consequently left her here as payback.

Biting back a whimper of fear, she slumps onto the ground and looks hopelessly at the green that is everywhere. There is nothing but nature and a thin sliver of light provided by the moon. Rain is now falling from the sky as a constant drizzle, and the temperature feels as though it is dropping at an alarming rate. Unable to think of anything to help herself, she crosses her arms, and pouts.

_The ball sails across the clearing and slams into a tree. A whoop of glee escapes the boy who kicked it and he leaps into the air. The other boy, the one who barely escaped decapitation is lying on the floor with a look of shock on his face. From a few metres away, a girl watches them from the trail, a small smile on her face._

Slowly she turns her head and squints. Almost invisible in the darkness is a pale line leading away from where she is. At a loss of why she didn't see it before, she stands up and moves towards it, dragging the blanket through the mud after her. Placing each foot carefully as to not trip on anything she can't see, she arrives at the path and gazes dazedly at it.

_They're having a fight now, one boy swings while the other blocks. After misreading his opponent, one trips into the other and they smack onto the floor with a loud thud. It's amusing to watch, and as they both stagger to their feet, covered head to toe in mud, she giggles. Startled by the sound, they both whirl to face her, and as soon as they recognize who she is, their playful faces twist with disgust._

The path is long; she picks up the soiled cloth and wraps it around herself in an attempt to keep warm. Gravel digs into her feet as she walks, but she ignores it completely, too fixated on getting out of this eerie place to bother caring.

'_Monster,' they scream as they chase her. She runs down the rocky path in terror, desperate to get away. One hurls a rock at her and she dodges. A house is up ahead, the door is open and someone watches from the doorway. Suddenly she is tackled and she hits the ground with someone on top of her. As the first blow lands she cries out for help, but only gets the sound of a closing door in answer._

Humming a choppy tune for comfort, she stops and looks up at the house that is looming out of the darkness. It is old but stable. Inside there are no signs of life and the place seems to be abandoned. But she is still wary and decides to wait a little before checking if anyone's home.

_Hours later she limps into the house and passes the shadow that is her father. He shoots a glare of pure hatred in her direction as she fills the sink and begins to wash away the blood. Pretending to ignore him, she almost cries as he turns and leaves the room without another glance in her direction. Eyes full of tears, she throws the flannel onto the bench and finally decides that it's time._

An owl hoots overhead, her teeth chatter loudly in the quiet. The rain is getting worse, she can't stand it anymore. The next steps she takes are hesitant but become more certain as she passes the old rickety gate that is hanging precariously off its hinges.

_The bag is almost empty, yet she has packed all of her belongings. Sighing resignedly, she places the note on the old dressing table that has a single picture of her mother on it. Her mother is beautiful, with model looks and a charming smile that could win over anyone and everyone. Leaning forward she kisses the picture and winks goodbye before disappearing on the spot._

Her hand lands on the door knob, she takes a deep breath and reasons that whatever is inside cannot be as bad as the weather outside. After a brief moment she turns the handle, pushes the door open, and finds a small corridor awaiting her. As she enters, the door clicks shut behind her.

_It was the day she left that changed her, turning her into something she hardly recognized. An echo of innocence was what she was, because before, even though it wasn't the kindest place she could have been in, she had still been allowed to keep some childlike qualities. But now, you had to be intelligent to survive, especially with the ability she had. No one came looking for her, and she never went looking for them. Soon she became a tormented wreck, like every other Jumper who somehow managed to survive the Paladins._

* * *

Griffin is a man who has been hardened by an unforgiving past.

There is nothing but a sliver of humanity among the boiling emotions and haunting memories left within his tormented mind. He is a lone warrior fighting a losing battle with nothing more than his survival instincts and a monstrous thirst for blood. Almost on good terms with death, he is feared by his enemies _and_ his own kind.

The raw _need_ for revenge consumed him years ago, and now it is all that drives him. But his purpose in life has started to slip; in fact, it had been slipping from the day he almost killed an innocent woman to get what he wanted… And if that wasn't evil, then what was?

Griffin is not a broken man, but he soon will be.

Right now he is staring at the empty couch, and wondering where the _fuck_ that rebellious little brat has run off to. The girl was here last time he checked, which was only an hour ago. He's been pouring over maps planning his next move against the Paladins. What was getting him was if she couldn't Jump, then how the hell did she get out of the damn place without him noticing? And the blanket was gone, which was even weirder, because when you're on the run, escaping some place, you don't take a bloody _blanket_ with you.

Well _he_ didn't, but the girl had been slightly odd…

Griffin is a soldier, not a fucking babysitter.

His cold-hearted bastard side is telling him to not worry, because his problem has just disappeared on him. But his common sense is telling him that she wouldn't have left voluntarily and he _can't_ just leave the defenseless little thing out there, alone.

Well he _could_, but he's not going to…

Griffin isn't that cruel, even if he does appear to be.

Sighing in irritation, he leans forward and scans the air for a trace of a Jump scar. When he locates it, he looks slightly startled, as he didn't expect to find anything at all, but the shock passes and he focuses, and lunges, vowing to kill whoever enjoyed making him do pointless things for ungrateful teenagers.

* * *

There is a metallic scent in the air, it smells oddly like blood. Her footsteps echo throughout the hallway, making her quiver in unease as she nears the end. Dust is all over the place, as well as spider webs and broken glass. She wants to turn back, but something is driving her forwards, a need to find something, _anything_. A small creak makes her halt and snap around, but there isn't anything there, so she continues, unaware of the glossy eyes that watch.

A stairwell lies ahead, and she goes up it quickly. When she reaches the top, she turns into the room on the left. It is bare except for a mirror with a single photograph on it. Eyes narrowed in recognition, she pulls the picture off and scans it carefully. The woman looks just like her.

_A warm figure cuddles her kindly as she reads 'Winnie the Pooh,' a gentle hand strokes her hair soothingly, it is relaxing and she can already feel herself drifting off._

She closes her eyes at the memory and smiles. Consequently, this is why she doesn't see the pale man's reflection growing bigger and bigger in the mirror behind her, until his large hand clamps over her mouth, and her eyes snap open in time to see the knife angling towards her throat.

"Chayne," the word comes out in a twisted hiss, "I knew you would come back, Chayne."

The terrified scream burns unvoiced in her throat as his free hand drifts towards her pants.

"You look so much like your mother…" he murmurs as his tongue flicks across her cheek.

* * *

With a soft thud, the dark figure lands gracefully on the ground after blinking into view ten feet above it. A muffled curse escapes him as it becomes apparent that the person he's been searching for is not there.

"Fuck."

As he scans the area and discovers the faint outline of a path, he thinks back to the unfinished plans awaiting him back at his lair and wonders how many paladins will be exempted from death due to this girl and her annoying habit of getting into trouble.

Of course, it wasn't like she was going to be around much longer. Once he made sure that she wasn't getting her twitchy arse tortured… again, he was going to drop her outside the nearest hospital, or church, he hadn't decided which yet.

The crunch of gravel underfoot is calming; he stuffs his hands in his pockets and tips his head back to look up at the stars. It's frosty out, but he doesn't mind. He's not the kind of person who bothers about the temperature. After a few minutes, he notices a building up ahead. It's almost invisible, but the sliver of moon hidden in the clouds provides just enough light to allow him to see it. That and he is known for his keen, yet deadly observation skills.

"This is like a scene out of a fucking horror movie," he snorts into the darkness as he tugs the door open and moves into the shack. The place is old and seemingly abandoned, but as he turns to leave, he hears movement upstairs, followed by a muffled scream. Frowning at the noise, he collects himself and jumps.

A split second later, Griffin sees red.

* * *

She struggles like crazy, fighting against the man who holds her. Her sharp teeth tear at the calloused palm that has cut off her ability to cry out. Tears streak from her vibrant green eyes as she attempts to stomp on his foot. She throws her head back, trying to drive into his nose. Nothing works and the fear heightens. She tries to jump but that chronic pain returns causing her to howl so loudly that a sound actually escapes. Moments later, her attacker is thrown off and she sprints for the exit without even glancing backwards.

She smashes down the stairs and through the open door, her heart feels as though it's going to bust out as she tears her feet up over the harsh gravel. She is almost back in the clearing when she careens into Griffin.

He suddenly appears out of nowhere, and she knocks him on his arse the moment they collide. Seemingly dazed, she scrambles to get off of him but is dragged back down immediately. Apparently this man wasn't about to be fazed by anything she did anytime soon.

"Watch it," he snarls in that _very_ familiar voice, "what the fuck are yo-"

He is cut off as soon as she wraps her arms around him and burrows towards the warmth. Griffin immediately tries to pull away, but she won't let him.

"H- hey," he coughs out, his expression one of bemusement, "let go."

It's now that she begins to sob, her tears wet his shirt and he looks completely horrified. "There's nothing to cry about," he mutters in annoyance, but doesn't push her off, "nothing happened."

She tightens her grip. And Griffin, who has absolutely no idea what to do, sits there and contemplates the shuddering heap that has latched onto him so viciously. Within minutes, he realizes that doing nothing wasn't helping, and so, with much hesitation, he lifts his hand and strokes her hair.

* * *

_Reviews are something akin to my lifeline._

_Assignment done and dusted, stupid teacher had better be darn proud of my work or off with the head._

_Chapter three is going to be awesome! Yet again, the preview got lost in translation._

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

**A/N** -- Updated, finally. I **RE-WROTE PART OF CHAPTER TWO SO IT MAKES MORE SENSE, CHECK IT OUT**. This is partly why this update took so long, that and its the holidays so I've been hanging out with friends, and unfortunately, family. Anyway, it's here, have a read if you want. Only one flashback in this one, and its basically Griffin-OC bonding, because I really love writing that sappy stuff xD. I'm going to see Narnia : Prince Caspian and whatnot tomorrow -is excited- , plus I have a science assignment I need to do and A stupid society and history assignment too that is utterly useless and the teacher will completely forget about when we get back from school break... I love life ;()

**Name Change --** I like xx vain better. So if you don't, thats ok, I didn't do it for you xD Seriously, Razsha was just a little... bleh, if you get my meaning that is pretty vague and not really there.

**Disclaimer --** Blah, if I did write it, David and Sophie would of known each other, Millie wouldn't of been so god damn annoying and Griffin would have been... well the same I guess.

**Summary --** JUMPER -- Simple mission- get in- kill paladin scum- get out. But then some careless jumper kid has to go complicate things by getting tortured and now Griffin has to put up with someone who's almost as mental as himself and play bodyguard too.

* * *

**Eleytheria**

…

Chapter Three

* * *

_It doesn't really matter who you are_

_-- Because there will always be someone to love you_

* * *

Griffin stood a few feet away from the girl, dangling his tear soaked, blood stained shirt in front of her to emphasize the point he was ultimately failing to make. Nothing he said seemed to be getting through to the dazed thing, and his patience was beginning to run out. Dropping the soiled top on the floor, he drags a hand through his scruffy hair and turns away, telling himself that getting angry would just cause the waterworks to start up again, and he certainly did _not_ want that.

Calming down a traumatized teenager was like calming down an extremely pissed off bull… near impossible. It was also an experience he never, under _any_ circumstances, wanted to repeat. And if, by chance, he _did_ repeat it… he'd choose the bull.

When it came to people, his social skills were almost nonexistent. Other living beings he could handle, but people were just too unpredictable, and almost every person he had befriended, had betrayed him in some way, the last being an obnoxious American blonde with a dorky haircut and enormous Jesus-complex.

"Look, kid, you _can't_ stay here if you're going to jump all over the place", he began again, reasoning with himself that at the _moment_, her staying with him was the only way she wasn't going to get her pretty little head smashed in, "I barely got there last time, _what _ we're you thinking anyway? You don't just jump into the middle of some abandoned woods and walk into the house of a serial kill- shit, don't cry"

A sniffle escapes her, he watches as her hands begin to tremble and tears start to brighten her eyes. He stares in horror, before leaning forward and placing his hands on her shoulders and squeezing them in an attempt to comfort her.

"It's ok", he says quickly, "It was, it was _my _fault, not yours, ok? _Just don't cry_"

She looks down into her lap where her fingers are idly curling around each other; he figures it's to avoid meeting his gaze. "I thought you put me there".

It was so quiet that he almost missed the whispered answer, but he didn't. "You fucking jumped kid, I didn't put you anywhere"

"I didn't jump", her voice quivers and heightens, "Why would I jump there? I didn't jump, I didn't, I didn't, I didn't, I did-"

"Well how the fuck else did you get there, huh? There was a jump scar, you couldn't have gotten where you were any other way, so you had to have jumped"

She begins to sniffle again. Griffin winces and tries to rectify the situation, "But maybe you didn't, ok? We don't really know what fucking happened, right? So, why don't you tell me what you remember?"

"I- I don't kn- know"

"Of course, because _knowing_ would actually help this fucking situation, wouldn't it?"

She draws in a shaky breath, and he groans.

"The last th- thing I remember, is slee- sleeping"

He sighs, "I'm not cut out for this fucking shit… what happened _after_ sleeping?"

"I woke up… in the clearing"

Griffin tosses his head back and pinches the bridge of his nose, "That's useful".

"I- I'm s- sorry" she whimpers tearfully, "but that's all I remember, I s- swear", she looks up at him slowly, "I'm re- really so- sorry"

"You're not sorry, you're hysterical" he answers calmly, before slumping down on the couch next to her and leaning back. He was beginning to get a headache, which was annoying, and really not helpful.

"I'm sor-"

"I know, stop it"

"Sor-"

"Seriously, stop"

"…"

"No crying"

"… O- ok"

* * *

Griffin shifts slightly, trying to get comfortable on the couch while the girl dozes on his shoulder. He's pushed her off numerous times, but she just kept slumping back over and he eventually just decided to put up with it. This was better than watching the emotional roller coaster the kid was on, honestly, normally you wouldn't be able to _pay_ him into hanging around someone like this for a couple of seconds. What was annoying the living fuck out of him was his inability to drop her off the Eiffel tower.

Well, he supposed she was better than that asshole _David_. Griffin wouldn't mind making him cry, but his current companion, not so much.

Dear god, he was getting _attached_.

A soft grunt catches his attention; he glances down and watches as she wriggles. It would be so easy to snap her neck, to strangle the life out of her. She is so fragile; it makes him slightly sick to the stomach to look at something so pitiful. But he also knows that somewhere, there is something lying dormant. He recognized it when she refused to leave, when she had stood up to him even though he could of simply jumped her out and left her while she was unable to jump back.

It is now, while he is deep in his own thoughts that she blinks casually out of sight.

He flinches at the sudden movement, and then realizes whats happened.

"Aw fuck"

* * *

_Its teeth are bared in a malicious, haunting smile. Its lifeless eyes ar__e wide with crazed laughter, an arm is slung around the couch as it dangles there, mocking her._

_Blood dribbles from the hole that is smack bang in the middle of its head. It's still upright, caught between the table and the armchair. It Hangs there, waiting, mocking, laughing… lifeless._

_The trembling hands of the fourteen year old lower slowly, the semi-automatic pistol drops to the floor, making a soft clang in the silence. Thick, red liquid has spattered her face, her dress, her walls, her TV._

_It watches, hanging there, laughing, mocking… lifeless._

_She stands there, an echo of innocence._

"_Mommy…?"_

* * *

Absently scratching her nose, she looks timidly at Griffin and raises an eyebrow. There both standing on the side of an extremely busy street in Tokyo, people are bustling passed without even glancing in the direction of the two foreigners. Nobody stops to make sure they don't need help, although she didn't blame them from wanting to avoid the dangerous short man who had taken it upon himself to death stare nearly each individual who had the misfortune to pass.

"I… jumped?" she asks lightly, not particularly wanting to draw that evil stare in her direction.

It takes her a few seconds to notice that, even though he hasn't turned to face her, he is actually watching her out the corner of his eyes. "You jumped" he confirms as a little old lady brushes passed holding her tiny white poodle in one stick like arm while dragging a small child along with the other. As the little dog starts to bark, Griffin's expression changes to that of utter repulsion, and she gets the distinct impression that he would very much like to break it in half.

"But I _can't_ jump, I couldn't when… h- h", her voice shudders slightly, so she takes a deep breath and composes herself, "I couldn't when _he_ grabbed me"

"You can't control it, whenever you go to fucking sleep you end up half way across the bloody world", he growls before turning round and reaching for her arm, "Let's get out of here, before we draw attention to ourselves. Even though I wouldn't mind meeting a paladin and bashing the shit out of it, you'd probably start wailing again"

It took a moment for the words to sink in, "I don't _wail_", she steps out of his reach and blows her silky black bangs from her face, "and I came here for a _reason_, I'm not leaving yet"

Griffin's arm drops back to his side, and he stands frozen in place briefly before turning and walking away. "Whatever, I'm going."

"What?" she gasps in shock, "You can't just _leave_ me here, wait", she sprints forward but trips over her own feet and goes hurtling towards the ground. She sees the pavement rushing up to meet her and closes her eyes, only to be dragged back upright by her hoodie.

"You are useless", snarls a voice behind her, upon swiveling she sees Griffin, and gives him a small thankful smile which he chooses to ignore instead of acknowledge. "If I gave you a plastic knife, you'd probably impale yourself on it"

"I wouldn't…"

"We're leaving, now" he begins to drag her towards an alleyway, "before you go and invite a fucking paladin to tea, or something"

"But we can't leave", she protests half-heartedly.

He stops again, his patience diminishing in record time, "_Why_ can't we leave?"

She averts her gaze, and shifts here feet, "…I'm hungry" she mumbles softly, her cheeks becoming a light pink.

"There's food back at the lair"

"No there isn- why do call it a lair?"

"I think I preferred it when you were wailing"

"I don't _wail_"

* * *

It looked weird. Rice, cucumber, raw fish and god knows what else, rolled up in seaweed. Cautiously, she sniffs it and recoils, returning to poke it a little before moving backwards again and regarding it suspiciously. This 'sushi', didn't look too advertising, or remotely edible. After a few more minutes of openly staring at the food, Griffin, who was sitting next to her at the table, swats her over the head.

"Eat it and stop making a fucking scene", he's balancing on one chair leg and waiting for her to finish. "You're the one who wanted to come here"

"I said I wanted to eat _food_", she whines a little too loudly at him.

"Sushi _is_ food" he retaliates in a warning tone, which she dismisses completely and instead, shoves a piece of it at him.

"If it is, then you eat it"

"I'm not the one who's hungry, kid; just eat it already so we can go"

She pushes her plate away, crosses her arms and tilts her head back, "I have a name, you know"

"Is that right?" he snorts, and closes his eyes in feigned boredom.

"U-huh" she huffs angrily, several waiters are glaring at them, probably because she had practically turned her nose up at there cooking.

"Well I like kid, it suits you" the drawl that's barely disguised in his voice just irritates her more. She snatches a piece of sushi and throws it at his head, but he swipes it from the air with ease and takes a bite out of it.

"My names Chayne, _Chayne_"

Swallowing, Griffin smirks and shoves the rest of the roll in his mouth, chewing it lazily. "Isn't that a boy's name?" he manages around his mouthful of rice.

"_No_, Shane is a boy's name, _Chayne_ is a girls name!" she grabs her sushi and sinks her teeth in it, pretending that's it's actually his stupid, muscular arm.

"Oh, I suppose that makes sense", he keeps his victory to himself and swings carefully on his chair to keep himself occupied.

"How'd you find me?" she asks when he'd fallen quiet, "earlier I mean, in the woods"

"Jump scar"

"Why'd you come after me?"

"I won't be doing it again"

"… bastard"

Silence follows, but it's broken when Griffin decides to ask a question of his own. "Who was the man trying to rape you?"

First she chokes, and then gapes at him in mortification. "He wasn't trying to ra-"

"Yes he was, I could see it, kid" he cuts her off easily, "who was it"

"I don't know who he was, ok?" she pauses, and then continues, "What makes you think I'd know him, anyway?"

"You can only jump somewhere you've been before, so again, who the fuck was he?"

Not wanting to answer, she decides to distract him, or at least attempt too. "Did you kill him?"

Griffin's chair slams back into the ground, causing her to jump and wince at the noise. "Who was he, I'm not going to fucking ask again"

Knowing she'd just lost, she exhales slowly and frowns at him. "He _may_ have been, even though I didn't _want_ him to be... my… father…."

"I see"

"Did you kill him?" she presses eagerly, her eyes wide in anticipation.

"Have you finished?"

"What?" she glances around and finds herself looking at an empty plate, "Yes… but did you ki- wait. If I ate that, does that mean I just ate raw fish?"

"Yes", he's already on his feet and pulling her up to. "Now let's get the fuck out of he- whats wrong?"

"… I don't feel good"

* * *

_Review my minions, and we shall take over the world for some insane reason ;)_

_I have a new Twilight obsession, go figure. So a story about that should be appearing soon._

_Chapter Four is coming, stupid elf lost the preview though, incompetent green wearing fool. I'll be talking to Santa about this, now I understand why the Buckingham Palace never got here last year O.O_

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

**A/N** - Sorry for the late update guys, school and family have kept me from doing anything like fanfiction. Especially seeing as I've been saving for a trip to Perth in the near future, visiting old friends and such. Not really going to well, but I'll get there. I've been thinking about getting myself a nose stud to, maybe later on Chayne will follow my lead. But that is _much_ later on. this chapter isn't too eventful, and not yet edited either. Lazy beta who is watching Jumper right now if I'm not mistaken, this means she'll probably begin to understand my story next time she reads it. xD Hopefully anyway, next chapter will be out sooner I promise, probably within the next few days, and chapter three and four will be edited, I'm really atrocious at grammar lol. It is definitely not one of my strong points. So thats about all I have to say, I'm off to have a really crappy day at school and my sister is sick, lucky kid. Any who, on with the story!

**To all my amazing reviewers -- I'd like to thank you all for you're support, and say that it is you guys who keep this fic alive. And that I love you all immensely and reassure you that this story will keep going, even if its at a snails pace. I'm hoping to get it to at least forty thousand words or more. Originally it was one hundred thousand, but I would need a really hyper-active muse to get it that far, but we'll see.  
**

**Disclaimer --** No, you see, even though I have an amazing wit and creative mind, I didn't think up this brilliant idea. I have to say that I adore the concept of anything with Griffin in... oh and the being able to teleport thing to, but no, not this time my dears, just no :)

**Summary --** JUMPER -- Simple mission- get in- kill paladin scum- get out. But then some careless jumper kid has to go complicate things by getting tortured and now Griffin has to put up with someone who's almost as mental as himself and play bodyguard too.

* * *

**Eleytheria**

…

Chapter Four

* * *

_Trust only works under one circumstance_

_-- It must go both ways_

* * *

The familiar acidic smell of vomit fills the small bathroom as she retches up the contents of her stomach. Above her, the rickety light is flickering quickly and gaining speed. Almost at her wits end with the damn thing, she lurches back over the sink and throws up again. Behind her, Griffin is holding her at arms length, firmly in front of said sink with a little more force than necessary. He has been since their spontaneous arrival back into his lair.

Grunting in disgust, Griffin leans as far back as possible without relinquishing his hold on the girl. He is unwilling to let go in case she decides to redecorate his furniture with partially digested sushi. Although the smell that is now inhabiting his cozy little bathroom makes him want to throw her off the nearest cliff, he pushes back the ever-present urge and continues to keep her where she is, whilst making a mental note to _never_ allow her sushi during her rapidly _shortening_ stay.

After a few more minutes, she reaches out for the tap and turns it on, washing the foul liquid down the drain. Once done she straightens and becomes painstakingly aware of the hands that are gripping her shoulders.

"I'm done," she gurgles unconvincingly before wiping her mouth on her sleeve, "you can let go now."

His eyes narrow slightly in disbelief, but he lets his hands fall back to his sides, and then slides them into the pockets of his jeans. "You'd better be," he growls menacingly. The threat however, is empty and they both know it.

An awkward silence follows. Griffin stares openly as she glares at the dying light above them, and then looks around for something to smash it with, before catching sight of her hair which she has managed to get vomit in, and then touching it in horror, which results in her getting it on her hand, and then she squeals in shock before shoving her now soiled hand under the tap and turning it on full, which causes water to spray everywhere.

"Gross," she complains sourly as she shakes her wet hands, effectively flicking water at Griffin which causes his slightly worried expression to change immediately into one of exasperation.

Catching sight of the look on Griffin's face causes her to stop and smile uncertainly.

"Gr- Griffin, can I have a shower?" She questions timidly. He blinks a few times and considers it, his nose twitching a little before he jerkily nods once in answer.

She beams happily at him and dives forward, wrapping her skinny arms around his sturdy, tense frame before pulling back and ordering imperiously, "Good, now out."

Minutes later, as he faces the closed bathroom door from across his tiny living room, he realises that the odd little teenager had just _ordered_ him to do something... and he'd obliged.

* * *

Sitting quietly in the corner, hugging her knees to her chest and resting her chin comfortably on top, she stares blankly through the mist created by the running shower. The noise is a dull roar in the back of her troubled mind as she tries to make herself feel sure and balanced again. Something isn't quite right. The flashes of memory, the personality shifts, the sense of security that comes from a psychotic killer who has threatened to jump her to countless places and leave her, yet has saved her life on more than one occasion. It doesn't belong, but in this world, many things don't belong.

Like Paladins, they most certainly didn't fit. Without mercy or regret, they murdered _humans_ because they believed that the ability to jump half-way across the world was some kind of sinful action, even though the few people who held that amazing ability didn't ask for it in the first place, and when said people found out about the horrific repercussions that the ability brought with it, they didn't want it at all, they didn't want to know that it even existed.

Jumpers may not be the most natural things the Earth had spat out, but they deserved to live just like every other being that walked the Earth. And in a sense, the Paladins would deserve life just as much, if they stopped taking it. Paladins were indeed monsters, bloodthirsty and heartless. But some of the Jumpers were exactly the same, and one of them is in the other room doing god knows what.

Yes, Jumpers are monsters too, she supposes.

Griffin is a prime example, he is cruel and heartless, but only towards his enemies. Where Paladins are enemies, Jumpers are relatively kin, and she knows that if she had just been some regular girl, she wouldn't be anywhere near Griffin's secret lair, let alone in it. Being a Jumper was why he saved her, being helpless and somewhat redundant was why he allowed her to stay, being easy to upset was why he was slightly less standoffish and rude around her.

She coughs lightly and sighs softly, the other problem that was eating away at her, was her sudden inability to Jump. It was like a part of her was missing, torn away against her will. Jumping was second-nature, a reaction, an instinct, without it she felt weird, and a ton more vulnerable. Even more so because, when she did manage to jump, she did it subconsciously, without being aware of it at all.

Her fingers intertwine and she begins to hum a tune. Her mood swings and personality shifts are worrying too. In the few days she's been with Griffin, there was a teenager suffering memory loss, a teenager who had no fear and a shit load of confidence, a nervous train wreck, and someone who was borderlining a mental breakdown.

The only thing she is completely positive about, is that her Paladin captors had fucked her up good with the amount of electricity they'd sent mercilessly through her system.

* * *

Griffin flicks through surveillance pictures, although he's been distracted by the fact that the girl has supposedly been in the shower for over two hours. It's highly possible that she's jumped off somewhere again, or that she's slipped and knocked herself out. He wouldn't put anything past her now, he'd underestimated and misjudged the oddity before, and it brought him nothing but annoyance. Right now she's probably in the clutches of the Paladins somewhere in Italy and a whole bunch of the fucking bastards are about to come charging out of his shower.

He squeezes the pen in his hand so hard that it shatters, but he doesn't notice. He's too busy with his paranoia and is staring at the door, expecting it to burst open any moment. But all he can hear is the faint roar of water, which is exactly all he's been hearing for the past _two hours_.

Comforting himself with the thought that she has probably just drowned herself, and there is absolutely nothing to worry about, he focuses back on the pictures that should have had his full attention by now.

Griffin is not in the least bit worried, he just doesn't want to drag a bloated body from his shower or run around the world looking for the troublesome brat and find her in a back alley with her throat slit.

Calmly pulling the shards of plastic from his hand, he analyzes the picture in front of him, or at least tries to, before growling in annoyance and standing abruptly from his chair. After running his uninjured hand through his scruffy hair, he glares at the door that has been taunting him and frowns.

Visualizing its interior, he jumps.

* * *

His hand finds the tap and he turns it, shutting the water off. Griffin located her the moment he entered, he didn't even need to see to know where she was, it was just instinct. If he hadn't learned how to pick his enemies out of the shadows, he would of been a corpse years ago. But that doesn't matter, what matters is that he has no idea what is wrong with little miss problem now, and her blank looking state isn't really keying him in.

Of course, Griffin wouldn't know what to do in any situation if it required even the slightest form of socializing with another human, so not knowing what was wrong doesn't set him back too much. Not that he cares what's wrong either, it's just, well, it is just what it is and he doesn't want to have her sitting like that in the bathroom for too long in case he needs to piss. Or something of the sort.

Mumbling incoherently, Griffin walks grudgingly over to her and nudges her still form with his foot. When he doesn't get a reaction, he crouches down to her level and glares intently at her.

"Kid, what the fuck is wrong with you now?"

* * *

_"My little baby girl," murmurs the shadow as it brandishes a knife in her direction and chuckles. There isn't a hint of sanity visible in the two shining orbs; instead there is only malice, and a terrifying bloodlust._

_She stands in the centre of the room, her trembling hands clasping the semi-automatic pistol with almost supernatural strength. Her pretty little dress that she'd stolen from the next door neighbour's apartment expresses innocence that will soon be erased forever._

_It steps into the light and bares its yellow teeth, "my little baby monster."_

_… A single shot rings out._

* * *

Slowly she becomes aware of her surroundings. The light is still flickering, but the shower has stopped running and someone has said something, but she can't quite remember what it was. The last thing she notices is the man who is crouching mere inches away from her and is giving her that terrifying glare of his.

Without thinking, she reels back and slams her head into the wall. An explosion of pain causes her to yelp and moan while Griffin snorts at her stupidity. She gets the impression that something similar has happened before.

"Don't sneak up on me like that," she groans at him. The pain eases a little and she starts to rub the forming lump vigorously.

"There _is_ something seriously fucking wrong with you." He replies coolly, there is no drawl or mocking lilt to his voice and he is regarding her with an unreadable expression. She doesn't take any notice however, and begins to get unsteadily to her feet.

"I thought I was going to have a shower," she murmurs as Griffin too stands to his full height. "why are you still in here?"

Griffin is taken aback briefly, but doesn't let it show. "You were going to have a shower two hours ago kid, what the fuck is going on in that head of yours?"

She stops what she is doing and looks at him in confusion, "I told you five minutes ago to get out, didn't I?"

"No."

Her hands begin to tremble and her eyes widen. Her breath catches in her throat and Griffin begins to feel uncomfortable as he knows what this is going to lead to. "B- but I did."

"You've been in here a hell of a lot longer than five minutes, kid."

The tears are welling up again, and Griffin groans inwardly. She opens her mouth to say something else, but he cuts her off almost instantly, "Don't cry."

She sniffles pathetically, "I- I'm n- not."

Rubbing his temples to calm himself, he tries to think of the best possible way to deal with her, as he does not want to relive a past experience involving said hysterical girl.

"You probably just fell asleep..."

The waterworks start up seconds later.

"It's nothing to cry over," he growls in an attempt to stop the tears, "considering what's happened, I'd say it's pretty normal what you're going through." He winces at his own words, they're way too _kind_ for his liking. But they seem to do the trick.

"You think?" She whispers quietly, her doe like eyes scaring him like nothing else could.

"U-huh," he grunts roughly, before looking away and setting his jaw, "if you had come out of it fine, then I would fucking worry."

"Y-you would worry?"

"Oh dear god."

* * *

_Review my dears, and many a good thing will happen too you, and me.  
_

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

**A/N** - Hey guys. I'm back and this story is finally off hiatus. This chapter is shorter because I'm just trying to get back into the swing of things after being away for so long. Bear with me, my writing may not be up to it's old standard yet. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and forgive me for taking forever to update.

Feedback inspires me. I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed my story in the past ;D

**Disclaimer --** Not mine.

**Summary --** JUMPER -- Simple mission- get in- kill paladin scum- get out. But then some careless jumper kid has to go complicate things by getting tortured and now Griffin has to put up with someone who's almost as mental as himself and play bodyguard too.

* * *

**Eleytheria**

…

Chapter Five

* * *

_There is friendship and there is tolerance._

_- Eventually they are one and the same._

* * *

The pad of her thumb slowly presses down onto the end of the pen and then releases it, resulting in a soft but audible click. Her lips twitch up into an entertained smile as she repeats the process.

…For the seventh time.

Griffin stops rummaging in the weapons cabinet to glance over at her. It still amazes him that after _twenty minutes_ of practically bending over backwards for the kid, it had taken something as simple as a _clicky pen _to make her happy.

Clearly she isn't entirely sane.

Then again, neither is he.

In a sense, they are almost as damaged as each other. It would have made for a great friendship, if, of course, Griffin was into that sort of thing.

But he isn't.

With a shake of his head, he turns back to the job at hand. Filtering out the incessant clicking noise that was starting to grate on his nerves, he lets his eyes wander over the cluttered contents of the cabinet, searching for the semi-automatic pistol that is buried under an excessive amount of firearms.

He needed it for the kid. If it was going to crash with him; it needed to know how to defend itself.

He shifts aside a sniper rifle with a resounding clang and sees the pistol. Grabbing it, he shoves everything back in and slams the door loudly.

Turning to face his little burden, he discovers her staring at the object in his hands.

"Wh- What's that?" she whispers, eyeing the weapon with trepidation.

Griffin couldn't help the cold smirk that flittered across his lips. "Seen one before, have we?" he drawls lazily, sneering as she flinches.

"N- No."

"You're a fucking shit liar, kid."

Chayne, having realised that showing weakness in front of him usually earned her a volley of cruel taunts and jibes at her expense, decides to take a different approach.

"I'm not lying," she informs him haughtily, with an imperious sniff for added effect, "I've never seen one of those _things _before in my life. I have no idea what it even is!"

Griffin just looks at her, an eyebrow arched in blatant disbelief.

"I don't really give a fuck about that," he snaps after a few moments of silence. "What I do give a fuck about are Paladins and the fact that you seem to be relatively easy to kill-"

She twitches. "I am no-"

"Shut up," he growls, eyes flashing at the interruption. "I didn't say you could talk."

She swallows audibly and does as she's told. Satisfied, he continues.

"- so you're going to learn how to defend yourself, because it's hard enough keeping myself alive in a fight without having to run around after you while you're standing around being useless."

She gazes at him through silky black bangs and raises her hand tentatively, a light frown twisting her lips.

"What?"

Ignoring the undertone of irritation in his voice, she points at the pistol with the pen she still holds and asks curiously, "Why a gun?"

"I thought you didn't know what it was."

He is smirking again.

She winces slightly, but ploughs on. "Wouldn't it be better to learn hand to hand fighting?"

Griffin shrugs. "It would, but the amount of time it would take _you_ to get it right is too much. At least if you wave around a gun, they'll hesitate in going after you."

He hoped.

"What makes you think I don't already know some martial arts?" She mutters mutinously, not liking the conclusions he was drawing about her.

Cocking his head to one side, he considers her for a minute, then bares his teeth in a grin and beckons to her. "Show me what you've got then."

"But I don't want to hurt you."

Griffin had the audacity to snort.

* * *

"David," she murmurs as he slips quietly out of the bed, "where are you going?"

Blonde hair still sleep-mussed and eyelids still drooping, he glances over his shoulder as he stands. He can barely see her in the darkness, but he can tell she is not happy.

"You know where," he answers as he rubs the sleep from his cerulean eyes. The sound of rustling sheets causes him to sigh. "Go back to sleep, Millie, I won't be long."

"Why him?" She demands sharply, sitting up and piercing his silhouette with her most fearsome glare. "He_ tried_ to _kill_ you David, and _me_. Isn't it enough that you went back for him? Why must you pursue someone who really doesn't _want_ your help?"

David groans. It is too late, too cold and entirely too troublesome to argue with her. But he knows it is either settle this now, or get ripped a new one later.

"Millie," he says soothingly, clambering back onto the bed and wrapping his arms around her tense frame. "We need him. He's the only one I know who can help us fight the Paladins."

She pulls away from the embrace and pokes him in the shoulder. "He's insane David, and we can't trust him. There has to be someone else, _anybody_ else."

"There isn't."

He moves to touch her a second time, but stiffens when she jerks away angrily.

Shaking his head, he drags himself from the bed again and slips into the bathroom. Millie just doesn't understand the severity of their situation.

The Paladins were coming after them with nothing but vengeance on their one-track minds.

They could run, but they'd been doing that for weeks now and he was starting to get tired of the fear that had become a constant in his life.

He switches on the light and stares at his reflection in the mirror, cerulean eyes determined.

He wasn't going to run anymore, he was going to fight.

And take back the life that was his.

But to do that he needed help, he needed someone who had been in his position before and survived. He needed someone who had knowledge and experience fighting this enemy, he needed a partner who would watch his back and help to protect his loved ones.

He needed Griffin.

And it didn't matter what he had to do to get him.

* * *

It _hurts_. Like _hell_.

She clutches her hand to her chest as sharp pain shoots through it. She lets out a whimper as it gives a particularly harsh twinge before turning her accusatory glare in Griffin's general direction and hissing vehemently, "This is _your_ fault!"

Griffin wears the thoughtful look of a guy using his tongue to search for any missing teeth. His bottom lip is bloodied and a little swollen, having misjudged the direction of her punch and twisting the wrong way at the last moment in an attempt to evade it.

He completes his inspection and turns his attention to her, dismissing her comment with a flick of his hand. "What the fuck was that supposed to be?"

It had been a sloppy punch, structured all wrong and the only reason why it managed to hurt him was because she'd thrown all her weight behind it. That and he'd turned his head into it instead of away from it. He was surprised she hadn't injured herse- wait a minute.

His eyes deviate away from her smouldering gaze and fall on the hand she has pressed against herself. He runs his fingers through his messy hair to distract him from the sudden urge to slam his head into the wall. _Of course_ she'd injured herself; she was practically a magnet for that kind of thing.

"Let me see," he orders through gritted teeth and leans forward a little to examine the hand as she extends it towards him. The problem is obvious; one of her fingers is sickeningly disjointed. "You've dislocated your finger.

"Just have to put it back in its socket and get some ice," he mutters as he grabs her wrist and tugs it forward, "then it'll be fine."

There is utter silence as he moves to do just that, until his words register.

She squeals and yanks backwards, tripping over her own feet and losing her balance. Griffin, who still holds her wrist in a vice-like grip, is caught off-guard and tumbles after her. He only has a few seconds to stop himself from crushing her as she crashes into the ground. His knees land on either side of her hips, one arm is snaked around her neck to keep her head from hitting the floor while his other hand is still attached to her arm.

While she's still disorientated from the fall, he places her head to the ground and grabs the disjointed appendage, before quickly and efficiently popping it back into place.

She screams.

Griffin swears loudly as she claws at his face, intent on taking an eye out. Catching both of her flailing arms, he pins them above her head and lowers his face until its mere centimetres from hers. "Stop it" he snarls dangerously.

She stills at once, eyes wide and face flushed crimson as she realises just how close he is.

Then they both jerk as the door slams open and a tall blonde man takes in the scene with a shocked expression.

"_Griffin,_" he spits out as he sees their rather compromising position. "_What the fuck are you doing?_"

* * *


End file.
